


Listen With Your Heart

by swiftgirl01



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 23:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14903955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftgirl01/pseuds/swiftgirl01
Summary: A small love story in a small town between a local man and a foreigner with plenty of poodles and local food- that is how Victor Nikiforov describe his love story with his Beauty, Yuuri Katsuki.





	Listen With Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Gab for the beta, for being a friend and whipping my writing into coherent stories. Thank you to my friends Guety, Maro, Xia, Rain, Maria, Ange, Adi for always being there.

Yuuri Katsuki, twenty-three, lived in the magical town of Hasetsu; a beautiful, serene town with plenty of sunshine and an enjoyable rhythmic slowness. He lived in an onsen with his parents Toshiya and Hiroko, his sweet and sour sister Mari, and his beloved poodle, Vicchan, named after his favorite figure skater Victor Nikiforov.

 

 

He could eat all the katsudon and take as many soaks in the onsen as he wanted. Sometimes when the mood struck, Yuuri and Vicchan would run along the shoreline of Hasetsu while the seagulls flew, laughing in abandon, then sit and watch the waves crash in silence.

 

 

Yuuri’s alarm rang precisely at 06:03 every morning, and went ignored each time. His eyes only fluttered when the first rays of the sun hit him full in the face. He plodded down, half asleep to the family kitchen and methodically made himself a cup of green tea which he drank in his Lion King mug that had been replaced a total of five times after meeting an untimely demise each time.

  
  
  


Yuuri came to terms with his life at the age of three. He knew he wanted to help people. He wanted to provide a safe haven to anyone who would require it. It was a broad dream at the age of three, and  when Yuuri was twelve, his dream wavered, then sharpened. That’s when he realized how he wanted to help people. In a way, Victor Nikiforov inspired his school in Hasetsu. 

  
  
  
  


He saw a dream he couldn’t make into reality- his dream of being a figure skater -but in that way, Yuuri taught kids and did his best to make their dreams come true. Yuuri was utterly, completely satisfied with his life except for that one tiny seed which had lodged in that untouched parcel of his brain and heart. Perhaps one day he would quench it, perhaps not, only time would tell. Yuuri hardly paid attention to it. He was the kind of person who didn’t linger on what he felt were useless thoughts. 

  
  
  


Many might of thought of Hasetsu as a noose, but for Yuuri it was perfection. Every day, Yuuri’s morning routine allowed for ten minutes to himself in the small balcony right off his room. He would watch the guests milling about, or watch the kids play in the neighboring apartment complex. He sipped his tea quietly, waking up enough to smile at the pleasant sight and stayed till the cup emptied.

 

 

From his vantage point, he could see the neighbor’s balcony clearly. It was previously occupied by an old couple who had moved to the city to be close to their grandkids. For the past month, Yuuri had missed seeing the granny water her potted plants and her herbs. And sometimes, the grandpa would come out to hand granny some tea and place a quiet sweet kiss on her whiskered cheek. It was too far away to see if the granny blushed, but Yuuri could tell that she was very pleased with the gesture. The granny always nodded to him acknowledging his morning routine just like he raised his cup in lieu of a ‘Hi.’

 

 

Yuuri sometimes wondered if the old couple missed their morning routine as much he did. But life was what it was; it moved while he stayed the same over the passing years with nothing to move him or to have a love like the old couple he watched, older than time itself. Yuuri was also certain he would never find anything sweet like the love shared by the sweet old couple’s, so ingrained to the other’s actions, so in love with each other even after all those years. It was magic; a magical dream he abandoned at a very young age.

 

 

Nevertheless, when his tea was over, so was his free time. He went inside to start his day, leaving the magic of true love- and people who needed it more than him -to others.

*****

 

Yuuri owned and operated a differently abled school right next to the Ice Castle Hasetsu owned by his friends, Yuuko and Takeshi Nishigori, who were also parents to three active triplets known as The Figure Skating Otakus. The triplets actively followed figure skating gossip, hacked their mother’s YouTube account too often for Yuuko’s comfort to post their videos.

 

 

Although Yuuri’s dream had changed from skating to running a school, keeping himself away from an ice rink was near impossible. Seeing the numerous times he sneaked to skate in Ice Castle Hasetsu, he was given a spare key with the promise that he could skate whenever he wanted. Yuuri, who had never been comfortable skating in front of others, took advantage of their kindness often, and that’s where he wandered when he needed a place to think. There was nothing Yuuri loved more than the special silence the rink held and the smell of the fresh ice. He would often skate Victor’s choreography. It was Yuuri’s way of escape. His solace.

 

 

Figure Skaters often told stories through their programs, just like ballet dancers did. Each skater poured their wishes, dreams, goals and their everything into their skating, some were evident and some not so much. Yuuri found Victor’s programs unique. When Victor was younger, his programs had been beautiful, fun and sexy. As Victor grew up, he won medal after medal, his long hair eventually disappeared followed by his smile replaced with a plastic face. His programs grew to special heights with a sad and lonely undertone, yet remained equally beautiful.

 

 

Yuuri found stories in the way Victor’s body flowed, in the way his arms swayed, telling stories of loneliness, friendship, attraction and love. Yuuri saw a sadness in Victor that no one seemed to notice, and watched him fade little by little until he seemed to completely vanish.

 

 

When Yuuko shared the news that there were rumors circulating that Victor was retiring, Yuuri was devastated. Soon, all that would be left were the memories of Victor Nikiforov.

 

 

But that world was far as the moon for Yuuri and Victor Nikiforov was just as unattainable. His life was fulfilling teaching young kids to deal with their differences. It was to show them they were no less than the other children, just that they needed a little extra attention to beat the odds. It might have seemed excessive in the small town of Hasetsu, where they were not treated any different, but unfortunately the same could not be said for the rest of the country, and it was Yuuri’s school’s job to help them reach their full potential.  

 

 

Every week, he would take them to the ice to have a special session and just to have fun. The smiles on their faces were worth every pain, every check he had to balance, and every hardship he endured to get there. Their smiles were the reason Yuuri’s dreams changed.

 

Little did he know his life would take a complete 180 sooner than he expected.

*****

 

It was a bright Thursday morning when Yuuri saw several boxes being shifted into the apartment. He caught a glimpse of the person moving in speaking to the movers  in front of the truck. He couldn’t quite see the face of the person, but saw that he was well built, a couple of inches taller than Yuuri, and had biceps of a woodcutter. Yuuri would very much like his neighbor to chop wood while he filmed it for… reasons.

 

 

Yuuri could tell it was an European man who spoke in big gestures. Vicchan perked at his feet when there was blur of brown near the stairs leading to inside the apartment. After several unsuccessful peeks to see his neighbor Yuuri turned away to go to work. Vicchan stayed back to watch the activity across their house.

*****

 

The second time he got a glimpse of his neighbor was a week later. Yuuri was having his tea as always at his designated spot, enjoying the view the sun beating on the ocean and children were taking advantage of the warm day. It was a very pleasant day. Walking weather.

 

 

He turned around and leaned on the railing, ignoring the sight in the periphery of his eyes and faced the Victor poster on the wall right across to where he was standing. Yuuri froze, his eyes widened, and he slowly turned to see his neighbor working out. Not just any neighbor, but Victor Nikiforov! Right in the flesh as if he walked off the poster and domiciled in the apartment right opposite his room.

 

 

He crouched lightning fast next to Vicchan, who was excited at the prospect of the game they were playing. Yuuri slowly peeked between his fingers with just the top of his head visible over his railing, only to be assaulted with the scene of Victor working out the very biceps he had admired just last week. All the while working out, Victor talked to his poodle, Makkachin. Yuuri felt slightly braver and ogled Victor shamelessly. Victor’s tank top left little to imagination. If he had been close, Yuuri knew he would get the sight of dusky pink nipples (how he came across this information is, of course, strictly confidential).  Yuuri clutched Vicchan to his chest like a lifeline, his mouth open in a silent scream.

 

 

Why the hell did Victor even bother to wear the tank that was just a piece of scrap? He could’ve gone naked rather than wear that! Not that he wanted see Victor naked (OH yes, he wanted to! SHHH!). Yuuri  _ didn’t _ pay attention to his sweaty chest or Victor’s  _ sweaty abs _ ,  _ NO SIR _ ! Yuuri crawled back into his room to roll on his bed and dreamed of pressing loving kisses to Victor’s abs till he had to absolutely leave for work.

*****

From then, Yuuri saw his neighbor, the legendary figure skater, almost every day. Yuuri noticed that Victor liked to dance with Makkachin (Yuuri had almost swooned at the cuteness). He also came to realize that Victor liked to read… a lot, and owned a pair of thick fashionable glasses which almost made Yuuri fall off the balcony.

 

 

One thing Yuuri did notice was that Victor hardly ever smiled, not even his press smile. He had caught up on the latest Victor Nikiforov gossip and there hadn’t been any mention of a bad break up-- not that he cared! (Yes, he did.) He had read that Victor’s coach, Yakov, was livid that Victor had disappeared right at the beginning of the season, at the age of twenty seven no less, short of competing to win the title of Sixth Grand Prix Champion, for personal reasons that no one seemed to be aware of. This had effectively put his flourishing career on hold, not to mention Yakov’s reputation and the Russian team. Concerns were raised that Victor was being overworked and of course, the media ran away with it till no one was left behind in the following shit storm.  

 

 

And then there were the retirement rumors, then again, if Victor was really going to retire, wouldn’t he just move to a tropical country and just do ice shows if and when he pleased? There weren’t any reasons for him to sever his life as he knew it and live in a small town.

 

 

But Yuuri enjoyed having Victor all for himself, even if it was only for a little while and from a distance. Little by little, Yuuri got used to Victor’s presence in Hasetsu and he became a fixture in Yuuri’s life. Soon, green tea, Vicchan, kids, sunshine, and Victor all became part of his morning routine... not that Yuuri was complaining. He decided to savor it for as long as he could.

 

*****

 

It was a warm sunny day as always when Yuuri saw a dressed-up Victor pacing to and fro, back and forth with a cup of coffee. Makkachin was hopping like a bunny behind him as if it were a game. He noticed that Victor was speaking on the phone with jerky gestures that threatened to slosh the coffee all over the balcony but Makkachin didn’t seem all too worried, which told Yuuri that Victor acted like that often.

 

 

Yuuri casually sipped his tea and also noticed Victor’s shirt pocket was stained blue by a lot of ink from his pen bleeding there.

 

 

Yuuri tried to catch Victor’s attention by waving to him, but alas Victor didn’t notice. Makkachin noticed him waving, she climbed and balanced her front paws on the railing and Yuuri could see the top of her bushy tail wag in record speed. 

 

 

Victor didn’t see him, so Yuuri waved harder and Makkachin’s tail wagged harder as if to say “Hi, do you want to play?” Yuuri saw her snout move seemingly in barks and her tail waved faster if that were possible. Yuuri saw Makkachin turn to her master and her snout seemed to move in a bark finally catching Victor’s attention.

 

 

Victor looked around quizzically, and finally caught sight of Yuuri. His expression was not pleased and made Yuuri regret even waving him down. Nevertheless, Yuuri was not deterred. He pointed toward his own shirt where there would have been a pocket if it had one but Victor just looked puzzled. Yuuri wondered if Victor thought him some crazy fan (well he was one but that really wasn’t the point here). 

 

 

Yuuri just signed him to wait and grabbed the chart papers and a sharpie. Under Victor’s watchful puzzled gaze, he wrote “CHECK YOUR POCKET.”

 

 

Victor finally seemed to understand and saw his pocket. In a panic, Victor forgot that was holding the coffee in his hand, tried to touch it, and spilled coffee all over his already soiled shirt. Makkachin, tired of being ignored, jumped on Victor causing him fall in a thud.

 

 

Yuuri ran inside before he could start laughing in his idol’s face. Turns out, the living legend figure skater was just a clumsy dork- wasn’t that a pleasant surprise? Yuuri started off his day with a kick in his step, all at the expense of a living legend’s clumsiness.

 

*****

 

 

Victor Nikiforov arrived in Hasetsu on a bright spring morning when Sakura were in full bloom, coating the roads like a pink carpet. He was twenty-seven, burned out, depressed, with a happy Makkachin in tow. It was a spur of the moment decision to go to Japan where even as a competitor he had always felt a sense of peace; a sense of belonging that he had felt nowhere else and he desperately needed to belong even if it was just for a little while. Victor needed a little magic in his life.  

 

 

He did not want to live in the madness of Tokyo, so he had researched small towns, threw darts, that’s when he came across the small town of Hasetsu with a small ice rink. Hasetsu was a small fishing town with nice hot springs, quiet sea, and subdued people. Everyone knew each other, and the ninja castle was just icing on the cake. He quickly found an apartment which was being rented out by an elderly couple with the help of a certain Thai skater with Japanese knowledge. He turned on his charm 1000% and managed to convince them to rent out the apartment to a foreigner like him. He hopped by Tokyo, signed the lease and landed up in Hasetsu, Saga prefecture within just a week of his decision.

 

 

Eventually, after the press managed to track him down, he would likely be labelled eccentric (which wouldn’t be long as Victor found it very difficult to stay off Instagram), but Victor Nikiforov didn’t care. What Victor Nikiforov wanted, he did. What Victor Nikiforov wanted, he got or, so he believed.

 

 

Soon, he and Makkachin developed a routine and the burden on Victor’s shoulders slowly eased. He found something resembling happiness. Victor loved living next door to the onsen. He loved the smells that drifted to him and the laughter that always seemed to surround the inn. He sometimes saw Katsuki’s small poodle playing with the kids. Even Makkachin developed a habit of spending her mornings on the balcony.

 

 

The Katsukis were well known throughout Hasetsu and very, very well-liked and respected. And everyone loved their son, Yuuri. Even the Granny was all praises for the boy next door. It made Victor wonder how one person could inspire so many feelings from so many different people.  Victor would sometimes catch sight of the black-haired man with his adorable little  poodle across his balcony and he had to admit, if only to himself, that it was an wonderful sight in the morning.

 

 

He always looked forward to the tiny visits from Yuuri. He tried so many ways to catch his attention like flexing his muscles hard (he was proud of his well-maintained body). If he flexed his biceps more than necessary, it was between God, he, and Makkachin. Victor went shirtless as much as possible- he was going to make the Japanese beauty swoon with his pecs. But alas, the Katsuki’s son never seemed to notice him.

 

 

He was almost about to give up until that fateful day. Victor was having the mother of all bad days. He had taken a major step in what he wanted to do for the future, and beyond that, he was putting down his roots in Hasetsu. He was tired of hiding; it wouldn’t be long before somehow press came hounding him like rabid dogs and there was no way he could prevent it. But he wasn’t going to let them keep him from living his life as he wanted it. Victor wanted to teach kids, tiny little kids how to skate and if a skater came knocking on his door to ask him to be a coach, he wasn’t going to say no.

 

 

Victor has scheduled an interview with the only ice rink in Hasetsu and he was very concerned that they were not going to take him seriously. He most certainly would be wary of a known figure skater wanting to be an instructor in a small town and he would even accuse them of just playing and would have suggested they take their business elsewhere, like Tokyo.

 

 

He was also certain that a sixteen year-old Victor would have laughed at twenty-seven year-old Victor’s plans. He had never once wondered what he would do once he could no longer skate or what he would do once he stopped being the World Champion.

 

 

Victor was ashamed of his former haughty self; at the Victor who had no doubts and at the Victor who was careless with people. He paced nervously in his balcony, a place he came often to think and hoped for some answers. He probably shouldn’t have brought his coffee because it was making him more jittery by the second. His mind ran crazy with ‘what if’ scenarios so much, he forgot that he came to see the raven-haired beauty to calm himself.

 

 

Makkachin’s insistent barking drilled into his head like a jackhammer. He was driving himself into a migraine. Makkachin continuously ignored his command to be quiet and was driving herself into a frenzy. Makkachin’s tail travelled at a lightning speed, as it did only for him. Victor was surprised as Makka didn’t get close to people that easily. Makka downright hated some of the people who had been in Victor’s life, who all turned out to be some sort of jerk in the end, so Victor had absolute belief in Makka’s recommendations. 

  
  
  


Victor looked around to see why Makka was so excited and felt his heart stop. His heart raced at an alltime high after seeing Yuuri waving to him. HIs dark hair fell softly across his forehead, which was wrinkled with concern. Victor’sHis treacherous brain’s first thought was ‘what a beauty,’ his second thought was ‘oh, I would love to have that in my lap,’ his third thought almost stopped his heart again ‘oh no. I have been found out’ and his fourth thought was ‘what a beauty’ again. As Chris often said- Yes! He was gay and hopeless. 

  
  
  


Victor, after feeling gay for about a minute, realised that Beauty was trying to tell him something. He squinted, frowned, and tried to make sense of things but he was absolutely lost. Then he saw Beauty disappear for a second and come back with his hands loaded with colourful chart papers and a sharpie. He watched with mounting curiosity as he saw Beauty scribble something. Beauty held the chart paper out and it read: CHECK YOUR POCKET. 

  
  
  


Victor was puzzled and glanced at his pocket out of reflex. Because he was Victor Nikiforov, the clumsy idiot, he managed to upend all the contents of his cup onto his already soiled pocket in an utter panic. Before he could curse the air blue, he stepped on one of Makka’s toys and ended up in a heap on the floor with the coffee cup barely missing his 1 million dollar insured nose. Makka decided it was play time and pounced on him to lick every sliver of skin she could reach. He was caught between giggles and trying to shove her weight off him. 

  
  
  


Victor gave up and let Makkachin attack him to her heart's content, but then froze and his laughter stilled when he remembered that he had just thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of Beauty. He scrambled up to to peek at the opposite balcony, hanging on just like Makka, but Beauty was long gone. He would be surprised if Beauty ever saw him again after witnessing first hand what a train wreck Victor really was. He groaned in frustration. Victor finally plodded inside to shower again and get ready for his interview from hell. 

  
  
  


Yuuko Nishigori was charming and enthusiastic with love for Figure Skating. She took one look at Victor Nikiforov and hired him on the spot. He didn’t know if he was hired for being a five time champion, but he looked forward to teaching all the kids. How he managed to do that, he had no idea. After the fiasco in the morning, he barely managed to get to the interview on time. He found himself guiding the enthusiastic triplets through the basics. He was told of the neighboring school, how the kids came there weekly once to have fun. Victor found himself relaxing and letting go in a way he had never done before. 

  
  
  


And that is how Victor found himself in the same position in the evening just as he was that morning, only this time, he was hoping to catch sight of his beauty and talk to him. When he saw a blur of ebony hair, he waved like a mad man till he caught Beauty’s attention. He held the chart paper saying “Hi I’m Victor” (which he had bought just for this occasion, not that he would ever admit it). He saw Beauty’s look of surprise and the slow smile that spread on his lips and that is how Victor Nikiforov fell in love.

  
  
  


*****

  
  


  
  


 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> Come and talk to me at [Twitter](https://twitter.com/swiftgirl10)/ [Tumblr](https://swiftgirl01.tumblr.com/)


End file.
